City officials had been seeking an extension at the hospital, which has been hosting up to 81 people per night since mid-December and was originally slated to close at the end of March.
As he tries to set the agenda on homelessness, Mayor Rex Richardson has been meeting with invite-only groups of frontline workers and concerned citizens. Here’s what they’ve been telling him.
City and county crews are preparing a sweep of homeless encampments near the Los Angeles River south of Anaheim Street in Long Beach, even as the city’s homeless shelters are near capacity and the temporary winter shelter is slated to close in a little more than a week.
One resident said he was kept from going to work even though he wasn’t sick, something the Long Beach Health Department says it didn’t recommend.
Beginning March 20, the city is expanding its Safe Parking Program to offer 50 overnight parking spaces in a parking lot near the Queen Mary. The site will have security officers, a pet relief area, hand-washing facilities and restrooms.
The city has launched a survey to gauge community members’ knowledge and perceptions of homelessness in Long Beach, which officials said will help inform response efforts and guide how resources are allocated moving forward.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state will pay to build and install the 1,200 small homes, which can be put up quickly and placed on public land to house people living in encampments along roads and rivers.
City officials hope tracking the information will allow them to better tackle the issue. One data point highlighted in the dashboard is that the most common outcome for people who leave interim housing is landing in an emergency shelter, rather than finding a permanent home.
The in-person donation event will take place on Saturday, March 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Stadium parking lot located on East Conant Street.
Nearly 150 people showed up to a Monday night meeting to hear representatives speak about the project, which could bring such a hub to either the Willow Street or Wardlow station later this year.
